President Barack Obama shares a laugh with a patron as they get breakfast at Valois Cafeteria in Chicago
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Another Video Here
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USA Today: Obama Breakfasts At Old Chicago Favorite
It was an old home kind of Friday for President Obama. The president — and former Chicago resident — had breakfast at a favored old stomping ground, Valois Restaurant in Hyde Park. Obama, who dined with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, ordered two eggs over medium with bacon and hash browns, and then plopped down a pair of $20 bills. “I don’t take free food,” Obama said.
It was a familiar place for Obama. A glass cabinet featured Valois coffee mugs adorned with Obama’s face, while assorted Obama clippings and photos hung on a wall. A separate menu board featured “President Obama’s favorites,” including “N.Y. steak and eggs”; two eggs with bacon or sausage; two pancakes; steak omelet; Mediterranean omelet; and an “all-vegi” egg white omelet.
More here
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President Barack Obama waves while boarding Air Force One before leaving O’Hare International Airport in Chicago
President Barack Obama salutes as he steps from Air Force One in Andrews Air Force Base
President Barack Obama is escorted to Marine One helicopter from the steps of Air Force One
President Barack Obama waves as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House following his arrival on Marine One
President Barack Obama carries his jacket over his shoulder and whistles as he walks towards the Oval Office
President Barack Obama signs H.R. 685 in the Oval Office. H.R. 685 is the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act with the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in recognition of the Aces military service. From back left are Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Va., Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Fred Dungan, American Fighter Ace, of San Clemente, Calif., Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and Clayton Gross, of Portland, Ore., American Fighter Ace.
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White House: Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 685 and H.R. 1209
On Friday, May 23, 2014, the President signed into law: H.R. 685, the “American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which provides for the award of a single congressional gold medal to the American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic military service and defense of the Nation’s freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare; and
H.R. 1209, which provides for the award of a single congressional gold medal to the World War II members of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo.
More here
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President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, announces the nomination of San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to replace current Secretary Shaun Donovan who was nominated to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
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White House: President Obama Nominates Julián Castro As Next HUD Secretary And Shaun Donovan As OMB Director
Today, in the White House State Dining Room, President Obama nominated San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to serve as the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mayor Castro will be an invaluable member of the Obama Administration. In five short years, Mayor Castro has made significant progress in San Antonio and put the city and its citizens on a new trajectory. He has been a leader among mayors in implementing housing and economic development programs that have tremendously benefitted the people of San Antonio. He has also built good relationships with other mayors and key partners in the Administration’s Promise Zones initiative, which spotlights San Antonio as a shining example of a city that has been revitalized over the past few years due in large part to Mayor Castro’s leadership.
"I hope that the Senate confirms them both without games or delay." —President Obama on the nominations of @ShaunHUD & Julián Castro
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 23, 2014President Obama also believes that Secretary Donovan will make an excellent choice as the new Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Donovan has committed his life to public service, focused on good government and smart investment. Under Donovan’s leadership, HUD helped stabilize the housing market and worked to keep responsible families in their homes. In the wake of the foreclosure crisis, Donovan reaffirmed HUD’s commitment to building strong, sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods that are connected to education and jobs and provide access to opportunity for all Americans. While at HUD, Donovan made critical investments to speed economic growth, while also offering new savings proposals and ensuring fiscal responsibility. Donovan also chaired the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, which developed a comprehensive regional plan, based on local vision for redevelopment, to guide long-term disaster recovery efforts. Donovan has a track record of using data to make good decisions and drive results. In the role, he has become a trusted advisor to the President and partner to other members of the Cabinet.
More here
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The Obama Diary 
On time?
Congrats on 1st derbingleguy!
Happy Beautiful Friday to you!
Lucky you. Congrats Derbingleguy on your gold. :p
😛
HAPPY AWESOME FRIDAY NCLB!
You are back! I recognize you : )
How are you doing? Hope you are feeling better and getting better each passing day.
Have a WONDERFUL Friday night!
Congrats derbingleguy!
Evening all
Happy Friday vetivera24!
Have a wonderful Friday night!
You 2 Cindy! 😊
Hey Yeah! It’s going to be a good weekend.
The universe is testing me today.
woosa……woosa…….woosa……. “Bad Boys”
I want to say HAPPY FRIDAY to you Liberal Librarian,
But you are having a hell of a day : (
Happy Friday anyway; a nice drink to calm the nerves when your day ends, will make everything funny when you think about it again : )
LOL, I just might have a drink.
And now someone’s complaining about a late fee.
Close it (Library) up and lock it up LL, you passed the test : )
GE TOD. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!.. Wonderful, thorough post NW 🍸
….According to the study, which used 22 password criteria to judge 80 top websites, more than 86% received a “subpar”score of below +50, the study’s minimum requirement for password security. Of the sites surveyed, Match.com, Hulu, Overstock, Fab, and Amazon posted the lowest scores for allowing users to accept weak and generic passwords. Apple (the only company to receive a perfect score), Microsoft, UPS, Target, GoDaddy, and Yahoo Mail were among the highest for including on-screen password strength, disallowing generic passwords, and requiring long, alphanumeric phrases……
…..While by no means a comprehensive measure of website security, the results paint a concerning picture for the already-flawed password infrastructure. The study, which was conducted after numerous high-profile security breaches like last month’s Heartbleed bug (which was thought to affect up to two-thirds of the internet), showed that major sites that collect personal information like LinkedIn, Evernote, Amazon, and Dropbox fall short of asking for the most basic password requirements…….
Thanks, LP.
Apple. Apple. Apple.
Completely wonderful Nerdy, what a joyous collection of photos and videos – and words! Thank you so much Legend!
Thank you very much, Chiparoooooooski!
I shall be addressed as van Chiparoo from this day forth:
🙂 Thanks again Nerdy, adooooore the photos & videos!
(Got that, VC??)
Suuuuure, I’ll call you that since you apparently love having a squirrel that tries to pass as hair on your head.
Thanks again for the kind words, Chips. 🙂
The gall. /smh
Thank you Nerdy Wonka for the beautiful pictures.
President Obama walking and whistling; the weight of the world is on his shoulders and heart, but there is no doubt that President Barack H. Obama enjoys his job.
We are sooooooooo blessed to have President Obama, his family, and Administration for a time such as this.
Thank you Mr. President…..we LOVE YOU!
Cindy, I echo your words.
Good Friday evening, TODVille! Hoping and praying for a wonderful weekend with good weather and lots of fun for everyone. For me, a pain-free weekend to start.
Thanks, Cindy. Wonderful commentary.
……The news: Cubans in Kentucky. Bhutanese in North Dakota. In Michigan, Idaho and Tennessee: Iraqis. When Mexico is no longer a factor in the immigration equation, the biggest documented populations in each state might be far from what you’d expect. A little more than 1 million people were granted legal permanent residency (LPR) status in the U.S. in 2012. The No. 1 country of origin for these immigrants was Mexico, with around 150,000 Mexicans legally becoming permanent residents.
But which nation is most represented in each state after Mexico? Slate’s Ben Blatt created a map of what the next most prevalent origin country per state is. By compiling data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the map illustrates a patchwork of immigrant communities that could change the way you look at your state……
…By 2012, almost 41 million immigrants resided in the U.S., a record high. With an ever-increasing number of immigrants being granted permanent legal residency, the distribution of origin countries will undoubtedly change in fascinating ways over the coming years.
What is clear in all of this; no wonder the repukes are so afraid of doing the right thing for Immigration.
They ain’t liking being a minority. Can’t wait until the tables turn and they feel what some of us have felt.
Bad grammar but good facts : )
Doesn’t matter the color or the politics – when they meet him, they love him. This will never stop – 20 years on – He is the Mandela of the United States
Nerdy Wonka, Thanks for a great collection of photos and links. A nice way to begin my long weekend.
Thanks, NCLB.
Look all the hand shaking before he eats, I sure hope POTUS has some of that hand sanitizer.
anniebella,
too funny, I was thinking the same thing as I viewed the pictures : )
Happy Friday to you!
You were thinking the same thing Cindy. I am sure he has something or the S.S. have something for him to was his hands.
Wash his hands.
These pictures should put a smile on your face no matter how dark, dreary or drab your day has been. Thanks NW for this fabulous picture album on our wonderful President’s day! 🙂
Thanks, HF.
Juicy day round-up, Nerdy. Thank you.
You’re a Texan, as I recall. love to hear what you think of the Castro brothers.
You’re welcome, Vicki.
The Castro brothers are great and a wonderful representation of what America at its best, is and should always strive to be. Mayor Castro has done a wonderful job in San Antonio and has made sure to use education as the great equalizer so that children no matter their background have access to a successful future.
Congressman Castro has also been doing a good job in Congress despite the obstruction of the GOP and it was a joy to see him with the President as H.R. 685 and H.R. 1209 were signed today.
I continue to wish them well in their endeavors because it means that millions of Americans without zeros behind their names will have a better future.
Good to hear that you see the Castros so positively. In-state opinion from you matters!
The guy never misses a beat, even with breakfast and hot tea waiting. I just love that he does selfies with people, let the opposers freak out, this man is in touch with the future!
Ps: I just love that PBO is a tea drinker!!
Why do you love that POTUS is a tea drinker?
Tea is shown to be higher in antioxidants, and lower in caffeine. You do get a bit of a buzz, but it’s not a jarring buzz, no super high like coffee, followed by a crash when the caffeine wears off, requiring more! Tea is less addictive, or shall I say, less habit-forming. When I was in the process of eliminating what was not healthy for me (various reasons), that darned coffee was the hardest one to kick – it took years, truly. And also, ab, I think it’s a thumb-the-nose to the TeaParty, although not deliberate!! Lastly, as a tea drinker, it’s special to share this with the best President ever!!
Love you MightyPamela. We are twins in our candles and tea. Love a great tea. I collect tea cups and tea pots. Have you tried the Hibiscus Flowers Tea. Made by Sweet Pea Spices. Delicious!!!!!! It also has great benefits for the heart and other organs. Wonderful. I love the flowers because they are so fresh smelling and they look so lovely. Preparing a cup( I drink three cups per day) or a lovely glass infuser, it is lovely. Very tasty with honey or agave. Enjoy. HZ
We are sisters on a Soul level, HZ! ❤ I had to find good homes for some of my teapots when I moved last fall, but kept several which I just couldn't part with! Some are too big (6 cup) to use daily, but my current favorite is of translucent china, used with a cup and saucer from Occupied Japan which my daughter gave me last summer. They not match, but I do not require that my china all matches!! My favorite tea is green jasmine, next is Yorkshire, and third is Queen Mary blend of black currant, which reportedly has benefit for kidneys. I only use sweetener very sparingly, just a bit of honey in the Yorkshire, and lemon in the green jasmine. Generally, I avoid a lot of carbs, high acid foods and added sugars.
You’ve done it again, NW. A wonderful thread.
BTW, seems as though I’m having some problem with posting. I see others have lost their avatars, too.
Thanks, Sabreen.
I suspect Word Press is acting up again. Probably trying one of their one thousand and one new changes.
What a delightful way to begin a weekend, NW. Thank you!!!!
Thanks so very much, Bob!
Heheh…Jon is too funny! 🙂
BOOM – It’s his year of ACTION!!!!
Oh, that is fantastic!!
This will be an emotional experience on all fronts…
It really will Hopefruit. Remember this? ‘Barack Black Eagle: He Who Helps People Throughout the Land.’
Oh my..don’t get me started this early…
I know, right? 🙂
WOW!…How Profound!
“Awe Kooda bilaxpak Kuuxshish”!!
🙂
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/05/obamas-new-name/
I really love this painting. Thanks for reminding us of it, Chips.
I remember his adoptive father Sunny died about a year and a half ago. Previously, PBO had them at one of his Tribal Nations Conferences. This is one of the most beautiful and historic relationships, a great honor for all.
Great!!!! I am looking forward to this. I remember that it was really hot when he campaigned there. 🙂
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Test
Ah LL, are you getting stuck?
Well, I read everyone else was, so I thought I’d check.
Missed that, grr, more glitches?
Ms. Sabreen was having issues.
Ahh LL. You don’t have to call ms “Ms” 😀
❤ http://www.sbs.com.au/movies/storystream/2014-cannes-film-festival-david-gulpilil-wins-best-actor-un-certain-regard ❤
A bit of trivia for ya. Valois Cafeteria is only 5 minutes away from the Chicago WH. 🙂
If this has been posted already, forgive me. If not, it’s a MUST READ and PASS ALONG
http://www.nationalmemo.com/va-scandal-lets-accountability-including-congress/
While Congress eagerly prepares its latest political stunt – a resolution to oust Gen. Eric Shinseki as Veterans Affairs Secretary – members might want to consider their own responsibility for the scandalous inadequacy of veterans’ health care. Unlike most of them, especially on the Republican side, Shinseki opposed the incompetent war plans of the Bush administration that left so many American service men and women grievously wounded. And unlike most of them, especially on the Republican side, Shinseki has done much to reduce the backlog of veterans seeking care, despite the congressional failure to provide sufficient funding.
Anyone paying attention knows by now that those secret waiting lists at VA facilities – which may have led to the premature deaths of scores of injured veterans – are a direct consequence of policy decisions made in the White House years before Barack Obama got there. The misguided invasion of Iraq, carried out with insufficient numbers of troops shielded by insufficient armor, led directly to thousands of new cases of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other physical and mental illnesses requiring speedy treatment.
A substantial portion of the estimated three-trillion-dollar price of that war is represented by the cost of decent care for veterans. But even as that war raged on, the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress repeatedly refused to appropriate sufficient funding for VA health care. This financial stinginess toward vets was consistent with Bush’s refusal to take any steps to pay for his expensive war (and to protect his skewed tax cuts instead). As Alec McGillis explained in The New Republic, legislators who voted for war while opposing expansion of the VA are hypocrites, particularly when they claim to care about veterans. So are the Republican governors who claim to care about vets but refuse to expand Medicaid, which would provide coverage for more than 250,000 impoverished veterans.
ICYMI.
Thanks for posting this interview, because I’m still digesting the piece he wrote.
It’s deep and I found out it took him a coupla years to put it together.
Saw him for a couple of minutes tonight on MSNBC and he choked up when he mentioned he had found out his own grandmother (I believe) had one of the contract homes.
Yup. I almost bought one back in ’69.
Proving – for the naysayers – that systemic racism and its fallout for REAL PEOPLE is still not “ancient history from our slave days,” as in “case closed after [fill in the blanks].”
Reparations are still a valid issue, from my point of view.
Yeah but in what form? Cash isn’t going to do it….A whole lot of things will have to change and things promise to get real ugly before that happens.
Yep. And the “40 acres and a mule” false, broken promise of the 19th Century (which is how long the reparations dialogue has more or less, mostly less, been taking place, of course) is worth way too much today to hand out in reparation, for a politician to go along with … but it did come to my mind earlier. I’d still like to see some kind of (meaningful) salt poured in some kind of (evil) racist wounds.
I sure don’t have any answers, but I do know that what you wrote about “things promise to get real ugly before that happens” is, unfortunately, another truth.
There is a way and it won’t cost a lot of money but it would burst a lot of bubbles.
Sounds intriguing.
Maybe I’ll share this week end.
Please do, sir.
😆 😆
Yardarm I thought the essay itself was mind-blowing and the interview profound.
Plunder being the continuing nightmare. The horror that lingers on.
Plus Ta-Nehisi raises the possibility of a measure of redress.
Ta-Nehisi is a national treasure and I hope he doesn’t get tangled up in and then diminished by partisan chatter.
I also liked that Chris Hayes played a Chris Rock quote. Another truth-telling treasure.
Hayes is hopeless when it comes to GG and snowflake but in other areas I find him very interesting. Does anyone else agree? probably not, if ratings are the clue.
Oh boy—-I haven’t seen the Moyers interview. i was commenting on tonight’s Chris hayes appearance.
See you later—-will now watch Moyers with TNC.
My money is on Mr. Coates.
Superbly well done lady Nerdy Wonka.
I was about to hit the road and your excellent new post kept me captivated, hooked and satisfied. Thank you kindly. My Friday did indeed end up very pleasantly.
Thanks, Nena.
Derbingleguy is the Golden TOD, 1st prize. Congrats.
Au
Per AP
It is now a reversal
BREAKING: Judge puts US Rep. John Conyers on primary ballot.
Come on. You mean it? That is great!
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-rep-conyers-loses-appeal-ballot-23845096
A judge on Friday ordered U.S. Rep. John Conyers’ name placed on the August primary ballot, trumping Michigan election officials who said the Democrat was ineligible because of problems with his nominating petitions.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman capped a turbulent day of law and politics and appeared to diminish the possibility that Conyers — No. 2 in seniority in the House — might have to mount a write-in campaign to keep his 50-year congressional career alive.
Conyers needed 1,000 petition signatures to get a spot in the Democratic primary. But many petitions were thrown out because the people who gathered names weren’t registered voters or listed a wrong registration address. That left him more than 400 short.
Wow. Thanks for the info, again.
Thank you Jesus
Don’t say you haven’t been warned about tomorrow’s Champions League final.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/the-dt-2014-champions-league-final-viewing-companion-204852800.html
Brilliant! Goooooooooooo Atletico!
Hell no! I don’t want the Rapture happening this weekend!
That would make for some excellent television – now that most of the good shows are over for the season. LOL
Chino Wilson is praying for POTUS to slap Eric the Cantor?
Wow. To whom was Chino Wilson praying?
The Love of Peace 😉 ?
Just a gingerly call out of these people and they cry like John Boehner……the Media and Wall Street included.
I see that mcturtle has pulled the rug from under the feet of grimres on obamacare. She had a golden opportunity to stand with beshear and dropped the ball.
Amk, typical Democrat shooting herself in the foot trying to run away from something. She should have listened to the governor.
iT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY RUN FROM, INSTEAD OF RUNNING TO, what the American people approved of; Health Care for everyone.
Next thing you know; repukes will say that the President “stole their ideas” for the ACA.
Democrats running from saving lives, and repukes will start campaigning on the very thing they tried to repeal 50 times; taking all credit.
WAKE UP DEMOCRATS! Don’t let the ball roll from your courts. Geesh : (
And the stupid part is that she was running only in the primary basically running uncontested. No need for her to tun away from beshear, at least during the primary.
Perhaps she’ll get a clue, quickly, amk. She still has time. A huge # of folk in KY despise McConnell.
she may have the time, but does she have the game?
We’ll soon know, amk 🙂
God hath spoken:
https://twitter.com/TheTweetOfGod/status/470000946731180032
Testing. . .
ICYMI:
A group of children in Tanzania who are naturally immune to malaria are helping scientists to develop a new vaccine.
US researchers have found that they produce an antibody that attacks the malaria-causing parasite.
Injecting a form of this antibody into mice protected the animals from the disease.
The team, which published its results in the journal Science, said trials in primates and humans were now needed to fully assess the vaccine’s promise.
…
The study began with a group of 1,000 children in Tanzania, who had regular blood samples taken in the first years of their lives.
A small number of these children – 6% – developed a naturally acquired immunity to malaria, despite living in an area where the disease was rife.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27522950
Did you hear about the guy with his pants off at the WhiteHouse? 😉
In a word – Yes.
😉
Tomorrow is Bob Dylan’s birthday – 1941.
Tomorrow is Zizi’s birthday too.
Nerdy’s new post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/05/23/a-tweet-or-two-55/
bt, does danny do this ?
🙂 All the time, Amk – and of course I end up staring at the same random things because I’m wondering what he’s staring at.
Shoulda got a hamster.
ITOLDJA.